President Dr Irfaan Ali, after departing Guyana on Saturday, arrived in Glasgow, Scotland this morning for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).
He was received by representatives of the Queen of England upon his arrival.
The Guyanese Head of State is expected to deliver addresses at several high-level climate change events, participate in international round-table discussions at the Conference.Already, Dr Ali had engagements with Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Phillip J Pierre and Bahamian Prime Minister, Philip Davis.
The President is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with other Heads of State and Government officials.COP 26 runs from October 31 to November 12.
Only last Thursday, President Ali launched Guyana’s renewed Low Carbon Development Strategy – LCDS 2030, which he says will guide the country’s presentation and commitments at COP26.
Moreover, during a press conference on Friday, he pointed out that Guyana’s presentations at the environment conference will feature “realistic and achievable” targets in keeping with the country’s energy strategy and programme.
“We intend to signal our commitment as every other nation that we all have a responsibility to climate change, but it must be differentiated we will outline a realistic and achievable emission reduction ambition for Guyana. And it is very important that we outline a realistic and achievable ambition target. We cannot go and criticise countries that are not sticking to the commitment and then we make targets that cannot be achieved,” he posited.
According to the Head of State, Guyana’s participation in the environment conference next week will re-establish the country as a leading example as a net carbon sink.
The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
